Maligned
by ElphabaTheDelirious117
Summary: The tides in Oz are changing as new arrivals and new events shift them mercilessly. Traitors—and friends—lurk in unexpected places. Musicalverse.
1. Great Expectations

A/N: Yay, it's another story! Thanks to **elphabathedelirious32 **for coming up with the title for me. Lots of dialogue from the musical in the first parts (don't sue me!), but it gets less plotsy later, so don't worry. It might be littered with descriptions and explanations and stuff, but I couldn't help it, there's too much to describe in the first chapter and if I ignore it, it explodes. Also there are little quotes from the novel to pose as a miniature treasure hunt.

Disclaimer: Not in my wildest delusions.

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The carriage ride was cold and uncomfortable, and Elphaba was glad when she finally arrived. She had requested a separate carriage from Nessa and her father, who had immediately obliged. He seemed glad to be rid of her, if only for the time being. She was too full of anticipation to listen to his lectures anyway, but Nessarose had hung on to his every word. It was chilly outside, and Elphaba drew her cloak tighter around her, fixing her eyes on the sight before her.

Shiz University, regal and mighty, loomed over the green girl like a shadowy beast. At first glance, it looked quite theatrical and staged, like something out of a play. But, aside from the blatant grandeur of it, Elphaba decided she liked the imposing look. It would be wonderful, she was sure, despite the inevitable presence of the other students. Deciding Nessa and her father were perfectly capable of finding their way, she strode toward the building. She doubted she would be missed.

Inside, it was as grand as the exterior, if not more. Intricate tapestries and ancient oil lamps littered the entrance hall; vines snaked patterns on the walls. A gaggle of students gathered in the Main Hall, chattering animatedly. Others, just arriving, drifted in from the entrance hall, shooting hateful glances at Elphaba, which she quickly returned. Irritated, she took a seat on the far side of the room, away from the gabfest, which she already seemed to be the topic of. She realized she was seated near one of the lamps, making her face even brighter, the colour of chrysoprase; her hat and frock were now a bright cyan. She looked like some sort of odd fluorescent flower. This only made the students snicker more. Why did she have to be so damn _colourful_? She tried to pay no attention to the buzzing idiots, but was overwhelmed by the numerous sarcastic comments forming in her head. Shooting up from her seat, and looking more like a flower than ever, she strode toward the crowd, sending several of the smaller students--Munchkinlanders, no doubt--scuttling to the other side of the room.

"What? What are you all staring at?" Elphaba said, raising her voice slightly. "Oh, let's just get this over with. No, I'm not seasick; yes, I've always been green; no, I didn't eat grass as a child; no, this isn't a costume for the Spring Festival . . ." She was listing the answers to the numerous idiotic questions she had been asked before, when she was interrupted by a considerably shorter girl stepping forward.

"Well, looking like that, you don't need a costume." The girl said, snarkily. "Although you look more like a weed than a flower." Her remark sent another cruel snicker echoing through the crowd. The girl had a short bob of curly, flaxen hair, and was dressed in a truly ridiculous outfit, no doubt the latest fashion in the Emerald City. She had a useless abundance of suitcases with her, and was flanked by couple of girls who nodded and smirked at everything she said, obviously incapable of forming their own opinions.

Elphaba seethed. She hated girls like this. Girls who thought their money would buy them a place in Oz, who cared more about clothes than anything else, who had everyone hanging on to their every word, no matter how idiotic. Girls who would grow up to be society dames, who had bubbles instead of brain cells. At first sight, Elphaba detested the girl, whoever she was. Pent-up anger and annoyance rose inside her.

"You look like you belong in the frosting section of a bakery, not in a university!" Elphaba said, eyes flashing dangerously. A thought fluttered through her brain briefly: _Not a good start_. But she ignored it and continued, on a roll. "Why don't you go _shopping_ and buy yourself some brains, as you desperately need--" She interrupted herself when she saw her father wheeling in Nessa. Deciding she didn't care, as her father disapproved of her very existence anyway, she wanted to continue, but in her fury she had forgotten what she had been saying. Oh, well, she could make up for that. "And this is my sister, Nessarose," she said, pointing a long green finger toward the invalid, "as you can see she's a perfectly normal colour. The definition of perfection, we call her--"

"Elphaba!" Her father looked irritated, and stern. Elphaba left the crowd and ambled over to where he was tending to Nessa, making sure she looked perfect. _As if she isn't already, _Elphaba thought bitterly, then caught herself, and refused to wallow in self-pity. She glared at the floor. "Stop making a spectacle of yourself! I don't want any of this nonsense during your time here, understand?" It wasn't a question, it was a command; the minister's daughter nodded her head as meekly as her dignity would allow her. "Remember, I'm only sending you here to take care of your sister." He turned away from Elphaba, coldly, and focused his attention on his other daughter. The one he would readily admit was his. Lurline knew how relieved he was to be rid of the green one. It was enough that she had ruined her family so, wrenched his love away from him; she also resembled Melena, even slightly, but enough to make him feel even more scornful of her. Frexspar looked at Nessarose, smiling up at him, the picture of a perfect daughter.

"My precious little girl, a parting gift." The minister reached into his satchel and pulled out a beautifully wrapped box, a gift box with intricate detailing. He handed it to Nessarose, who opened it eagerly without any humble protests; she was too excited. The box fell open, and she gasped; the sight that met her eyes was blinding with its beauty. They seemed to contain the colors of the rainbows after rain, the brilliance of the sun, the mystery of moonlight. All the colors she had ever known were glittering back at her.

"Jewelled shoes! Oh, thank you, Father!" Nessarose exclaimed. She heard the crowd of students murmur slightly, those restless gossips, and felt a glow of pride. Finally, _she _would be the envied one!

"Only the best for my Nessarose, the future governor of Munchkinland." Frex fixed them onto her feet, where they glittered majestically. With the help of new shoes, instead of the old house slippers, she looked as regal as any queen. Something twisted in Elphaba's features, and cold indifference was replaced by longing. In a blink, it was gone. She didn't dare ask if there was anything for her; she knew the answer, anyway, and would only face more humiliation. By now a familiar feeling.

"Goodbye, my dear Nessa." Frex was leaving. The green girl breathed a sigh of relief. "Elphaba. Take care of your sister, and..." What sort of parting words did one say to a daughter you hardly knew? "...Don't talk so much." He nodded at her briefly, and strode away in a whirl of robes.

"Oh, Elphaba . . ." Nessarose looked uncomfortable, and guilty; yet the glow of fresh excitement was still there. Elphaba suppressed a sigh, and brushed off her sister with a sarcastic remark.

"Well, what could he have gotten for me? I clash with everything." Elphaba said. She sat down beside her suitcase and fiddled with the straps. In a few minutes or so, a tall woman, huge as a barge, swept into the room in a suffocating cloud of powder and perfume.

"Welcome, new students!" She said, her booming voice echoing around the hall. The chatter had ceased and all eyes were on her; an arrangement she seemed to enjoy. "I am Madame Morrible, the Headmistress here at Shiz University. We have many subjects here, including sorcery, a favourite of mine; whichever you are here to study, we have the highest hopes for some of you. Now, regarding room assignments . . ." At these words, both Elphaba and the same glittery blonde girl from before raised their hands. Unfortunately for Elphaba, the Head noticed the other first. "Yes, is this regarding room assignments?" The blonde then addressed the Head, putting on an expression of innocence.

"Oh, _thank _you for asking, Madame, but _I_'ve already been assigned a private suite." A groan from the crowd, and muttering. The blonde panicked momentarily, but was quick to smooth over the situation. "But you can _all_ come visit when_ever_ you like!" The sparkly society girls she had with her praised her goodness, while she muttered false protests. Morrible looked irritated rather than intrigued.

"Do you have a question?" The Head said, evidently trying to keep her temper. The blonde turned back to the headmistress, fighting the urge to respond to the numerous followers fawning over her excellence. She never could reject a compliment, not sincerely; it was even harder to ignore them.

"Yes, Madame Morrible, you see, _I_ am Galinda Upland. Of the _Upper _Uplands." She had an irritating bubbly voice that made Elphaba's ears hurt, and a talent for emphasizing any pronouns related to herself. "_I_ sent in my application for your Sorcery seminar with my essay: "Magic Wands: Need They Have A Point?". Perhaps you recall?" But Madame Morrible didn't seem to recall, or perhaps she didn't want to. Her obvious wish at the moment was to be rid of the ridiculous, chattering blonde.

"Yes . . ." The Head waved at Galinda dismissively, mumbling something incoherent. "Well, I do not teach my seminar every semester, unless someone special were to come along." Galinda opened her glossed mouth to say something, but Morrible had already drawn her attention to Elphaba.

"Madame, we have not received our room assignments," Elphaba said, looking up at the Head; she was an imposing woman, and her fluorescent clothing only made her the more striking. Elphaba's eyes were beginning to hurt from the multitude of fluorescent hues. Shiz as a whole was a shock to her senses.

"Yes, of course!" Madame Morrible said with a flourish, waving her tree trunk arms at Nessarose, who flinched. "You must be, let's see. . . oh yes, the Governor's daughter, Miss Nessarose! What a beautiful girl you are." She turned her attention to Elphaba, and jumped at the sight of the green girl, who struggled not to roll her eyes at her Headmistress. It was as though she had not seen her just a moment ago. "And _you_ are?"

"I'm the other daughter, Elphaba."

"Yes, well, I'm sure you're very bright." Said the Head; Elphaba heard Galinda stage-whisper something to the crowd of students, but didn't care to listen to the ramblings of ninnies such as those. She knew it was about her, anyway, and she was too used to hearing low comments on her skin colour, so she tuned the Headmistress back in, who had been saying something-or-other in her dramatic tones. ". . . don't you _worry_, we'll find some place to put you. Now, which of you _lovely_ young ladies would so very _graciously_ volunteer to share a room with Miss Elphaba Thropp?" She said, at the same time as the blonde Galinda girl had turned around, ready to address her with another query. Mistaking Galinda's raised hand for a reply to her own question, Morrible gushed on about the blonde's goodness, and eventually announced, "Miss Elphaba, you may share with Miss Galinda."

"Oh, but Madame, you see, I've always looked after my sister, and my father said . . . " Elphaba began to protest, but the Head interrupted her.

"Yes, the Governor has expressed his concerns for your sister's well being. So, I thought it best she share my own private suite so I may assist her as needed."

"But Madame--" Elphaba tried to protest, but everything was flitting by her. No one was paying any attention to her. She might as well have been incapable of speech.

"Everyone, off to your dormitories!" Morrible boomed at the gaggle of students, wheeling away Nessarose, who looked apprehensive. Elphaba felt herself lose grasp of the situation, with everyone wheeling and skipping away to their rooms. She had always cared for Nessarose as a young child, with her father running off to do his political duties and such. The frustration went deeper than that, though; Elphaba had never let herself be manipulated if she could help it. She would not let this happen.

"_Let her go!_" Elphaba yelled, forgetting that she could get into a considerable amount of trouble for shouting at the Headmistress. She felt the surge of an amalgam of rage and fear, of electricity, or magic, rushing through her veins, felt the air crackle around her, felt her hands grow numb and prickly, and as both Morrible and the crowd of students watched her, transfixed, Nessarose's chair wheeled itself into her outstretched hands, its occupant shrieking helplessly. She grasped it, but to steady herself or to claim her prize she did not know. She eventually floated back to reality, the murmured rumours and Nessarose's dismay at what she had done hitting her in unison.

"Elphaba, you promised me this would be different..." Nessa said. Elphaba sighed hopelessly, sadly accepting the fact that something _else _had gone wrong. She looked at the Head, expecting a lecture at the very least. But the woman looked thrilled. Perhaps she was just crazy.

"Y-you mean, this...this has happened before?" Morrible stuttered excitedly. Elphaba muttered an apology, to her sister and the Head, who looked scandalized. "What! Never apologize for talent! It is a gift, and gifts are meant to be cherished! My dear girl, have you ever considered a career in sorcery?"

"Sorcery?" Elphaba echoed, dumbfounded. She had expected disapproval, but for once in her life she had gotten praise, in possibly the oddest circumstances. Morrible ignored her and steamrollered on.

"I shall tutor you myself, and take no other students!" She exclaimed theatrically, ignoring Galinda's desperate protests. "Now, off to your--" The dismissal to the students' respective dormitories was once again interrupted. A girl with dark blond locks, one of Galinda's posse, spoke up.

"Madame Morrible, I have not yet received my room assignment." The girl said, in high-pitched tones that mirrored Galinda's. "I am Miss Milla, of Upper Gillikin." Morrible peered at her list.

"Miss Milla, of _course_, how could I forget you," she said, rushing on. "You will be rooming with Miss Cathareen of the Eastern Uplands." But no girl stepped forward to claim her position. Morrible repeated, annoyance thick in her voice, "Miss Cathareen?" Silence echoed through the hall. "Very well, if Miss Cathareen finds it so difficult to be punctual, I must--" Morrible was once again interrupted, this time by a girl bursting into the room in a whirl of purple skirts. She scurried up to the Head.

"I'm Cathareen, hello!" The girl said breathlessly, offering a charming smile as apology for her lack of articulacy and social grace.

"Yes, Miss Cathareen, might I remind you that we encouragerate punctuality here at Shiz University." Madame Morrible smiled with a sticky sweetness; the statement sounded more like a threat than an encouragement. The girl nodded respectfully; Morrible went on. "As I was saying, you will be rooming with Miss Milla, of Upper Gillikin. Off to your dormitories everyone!" The chatter began again, roommates engaging in banter. But not Elphaba and her cupcake of a roomie; the blonde stepped daintily toward the second floor, while Elphaba trudged along behind her. She was caught on the arm, however, by the Head. Elphaba shuddered involuntarily; the touch sent chills down her spine. Whether Morrible noticed or not, she said nothing, and addressed the girl.

"My dear, I almost forgot, I'll be sending word to the Wizard about your special talents." She said, beaming. "I'm sure he'll find a suitable job for someone like you!" Elphaba was shocked. The--the _Wizard? _Job!? This was too good to be true. She thanked the Headmistress excitedly and almost skipped to her room, her feet treading lighter than usual.


	2. Lesson Learned

**A/N: I know, long time no see, short chapter, blah blah. Blame school and three tests in one week. By the way, I know this doesn't move the plot along much, but it sort of shows how the characters are connected and all.**

**Please review!  
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**Disclaimer: Ha! No.**

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Sitting in front of her vanity, Galinda primped herself for biology class. She had woken up, late, and thanked Lurline the green thing was gone. She didn't think she could possibly stand another minute with her, but Morrible would not be swayed. At least she had met other girls.

Satisfied with her make-up, Galinda stood and collected her things. Glancing around the room to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything, something caught her eye, something poking out from under her roommates's drab pillow. Moving closer, she saw it was a little emerald glass bottle full of green liquid, with a label taped to it. _Miracle Elix-_, it said, in hasty writing. It was easy enough to decipher the rest. Galinda wondered what it could mean, but didn't want to speak to her roomie. Or worse, be _seen _speaking to her. So she merely turned and left the room, trying to shift her thoughts to biology.

The students were chattering away, and Galinda was soon part of the din with the lovely Misses Milla, Pfannee, and Shenshen, along with another girl she hadn't known before, Miss Cathareen. No one commented on Galinda's lateness, as only coming to the sole class before lunch seemed tradition with the blonde. With some effort the young ladies also refrained from speaking of Galinda's unfortunate roommate so early in the semester, although they knew the gossip would bubble up eventually.

"I heard, Miss Cathareen," Milla addressed the other girl, her roomie, "that you come from the Eastern Uplands." Cathareen nodded. "How novel. I once spent a summer there in my cottage, and it was simply divine. You must be glad you needn't visit there, seeing as it is your home."

"Actually, Miss Shenshen," said Cathareen, feigning indifference at the subject, "it isn't currently my home. I thought you knew that it is my dormitory, considering you share it." This was not very quick-witted or hurtful, but Milla looked shocked. Cathareen chose not to add she didn't have a home in the Eastern Uplands anymore, but had spent the larger part of her childhood years sloshing around in Mudland, rather than drinking tea from exquisite china every day of the year. An awkward silence enveloped the girls, until Galinda felt she could not stand it any longer. So she invited them all to a get-together in one of the local cafes, just north of Shiz. The girls soon began speaking of useless, sparkly things, when someone arrived. _Her. _The artichoke.

Elphaba.

A silence fell on the crowd, save for gasps and mutterings, and Elphaba visibly rolled her eyes. Galinda was stunned at the girl's lack of grace, and her horrendodeous fashion sense. She cast an appraising eye over the green girl; she had on a black frock with a pleated skirt that reached just below her knees. Her long, black hair was in a braid. Her twiggy legs were sheathed in dark grey leggings, her feet in large, black boots. None of it even _matched_. Galinda wrinkled her nose instinctively, and turned her gaze away as the fashion disaster dropped into a seat near the front row. The silence was quickly shattered, mutterings and whisperings coarsing through the room, even when an old Goat clad in moth-eaten clothes swept into the room. Galinda wrinkled her nose again. What in Oz was happening to the fashion sense around here?

The Goat introduced himself as Doctor Dillamond, their Biology professor, or Life Sciences, as he put it. Galinda inspected her flawless cuticles as he began blathering and bleating about tissue and cell memory and such. Thankful she was seated in the back, Galinda struck up another conversation with Shenshen, who looked as bored as she was.

"How could anyone possibly pay attention to this useless ranting?" Galinda said to her friend. "Look, no one's even watching him, let alone--" Her eyes swept across the room, suddenly landing on her roommate. The girl was practically on the edge of her seat, hanging on to Dillamond's every word, her pen flying across her paper as she took notes. Galinda rolled her eyes. "Well, except for _her_, of course."

"Oh, the _frog_?" Shenshen said, meanly, or as meanly as she could. "Well, Goats need pets too, I guess." Galinda let out a snicker. They continued whispering for a while, until they were interrupted by a disapproving voice.

"Miss Shenshen, Miss Glinda, would you like to share something urgent with the class?" Doctor Dillamond said, and Shenshen felt herself blush as all eyes turned to the two girls. Galinda, however, reveled in the attention.

"It's _Ga_linda, if you please," she said in her sweetest voice. Shenshen couldn't help admiring the girl's skills at smoothing things over so quickly and easily. "And we were just discussing how _wonderful _your class is. _I_ am _genuinely_ sorry to interrupt." The Goat seemed to grow less irritated, and mumbled something before continuing on. The girls erupted into giggles.

"Oh, Miss Galinda, you're _too _good," said Shenshen, and Pfannee, who had just noticed the whole exchange. Galinda fluttered her eyelashes modestly, and murmured a half-hearted protest. The girls gossiped until dismissal, then bustled off to the lunchroom, arm in arm.

They entered the lunchroom, and, after getting their food, chose a table by one of the many ornate windows. After some chatter and not much eating, Galinda, ever the smart one, noticed that Cathareen was not among them. The four girls scanned the room until Pfannee spotted the girl still scooping food onto her plate. Once she returned, dropping her tray on the table with a clatter, they began to needle her about her eating habits (_"_A _full plate!"_) until a boy came up to them. He was silent for some time, all five girls staring at him; he seemed to be contemplating leaving. Eventually he worked up the nerve.

"Is-is this seat taken?" He said, gesturing to the empty seat beside Galinda. Naturally the blonde was dismayed. The boy introduced himself as Boq, or Biq or whatever. He had a shy, toothy grin and brown hair, not much to look at by her standards, but not painful to the eyes. But he was so _short._ Thinking quickly, a skill she didn't know she had, Galinda dropped her rose-coloured purse onto the empty seat. She smiled up at the boy, who looked dejected.

"Terribly sorry, but that is the case," Galinda patted her purse. "You can always sit _there_," she gestured vaguely to another table, at the other side of the room, empty save for Elphaba with her nose in a book, a blood-red apple the only edible thing in her presence. Boq looked unsure.

"Um, well--thanks, M-Miss Galinda," he took a deep breath, "I mean--um. A-a-another time. M-maybe," he was staring at his tray, a blush creeping onto his face. Galinda had a smile frozen on her face, waiting for him to leave. He seemed to give up then, realizing she wouldn't change her mind. "W-well, I'll..I'll just, I'll just go." He fled without a backward glance, mortified. She shook her head as he shuffled away, her blond curls bouncing. Some boys never learned.


	3. Female Bonding

**A/N: Sorry for the delay, but I blame it on work. Please review.**

**Disclaimer: It's not mine.**

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Though classes went splendidly that day, Elphaba returned to her dormitory in a bad mood. She was beginning to loathe the crowded halls already, full of pushing and shoving students, and the buzzing and mutterings of society girls spewing useless gossip made her tired. She threw the door open with a bang, and registering the room's vacancy, dropped her satchel onto her bed and stormed into the bathroom. 

After some time, Elphaba exited the bathroom wrapped in a towel, feeling a lot better. The melodic patter of rain and the alternate _whoosh _of wind outside her window was soothing, like a bedtime symphony. She changed quickly into her drab nightgown and settled under the covers of her bed with a book. But she had only read a chapter or two before her roommate appeared in the room with a clatter akin to the sound of Elphaba's own arrival. The quiet tranquility of the room was instantly shattered. Elphaba scowled, but said nothing, paying scant attention to Galinda. Eventually the blonde swept into the bathroom in a whirl of rose skirts, and Elphaba put her book into the drawer of her beside table. She strode to the window and opened it slightly, letting the cool night air sweep across her face gently and eliminate any developing traces of a headache. She smiled slightly with satisfaction as she closed the window, retreating to her bed and tucking the covers around herself. She decided staying awake with her blonde roommate present would lead to nothing pleasant, so she let herself fall asleep.

Galinda exited the bathroom in her nightgown, which was several degrees frillier and more intricately detailed than Elphaba's potato sack. She glanced briefly at the sleeping girl and settled under her own covers, drawing them around her. It didn't take her long to fall asleep.

The next morning Elphaba woke with a yawn, only to see that Galinda was in the bathroom, no doubt caking on make-up. So instead of starting in the bathroom, Elphaba began shoving the required books into her satchel. But that didn't take long, and soon she began to feel frustrated and impatient. She would _not _be late to class because that little ball of fluff took too much time on her make-up. She stood up, and was about to bang on the bathroom door when Galinda emerged, frills and all.

"Finally," Elphaba said, rolling her eyes. "How much time can you spend on your face?" _It's not as if you need make-up_, she thought, but berated herself instantly for thinking such a thing, and stopped before her thoughts could travel any further along that road. She got enough insults flung her way without her own mind turning against her.

"Well," Galinda paused for a bit, as if to think, though Elphaba highly doubted that could ever happen. "You wouldn't know anything about make-up, since it's obviously useless for you." Elphaba noticed Galinda didn't use that irritating shrill voice when not in public, or with her friends, if those prissy little cupcakes could even be called that.

"I think I'll pass on any opportunity to put paste on my face, thanks," Elphaba said, and taking Galinda's silence as defeat, stalked into the bathroom.

Morning bathroom ritual complete, Elphaba emerged from the bathroom in one of her frocks and regarded with dismay that Galinda was still there, rifling through her things with the odd grumble of frustration.

"Ugh!" Galinda was now frantically throwing things here and there, obviously searching for something; her side of the room was a mess.

"Don't know what to wear?" Elphaba said with a smirk, placing an apple into her satchel.

"Hardly an issue with you, I'm sure, with your lack of basic clothing necessities," Galinda said huffily, continuing to rifle through her many bags and large drawers. Elphaba let out a wry, serrated laugh.

"Those extravagant 'necessities'," she said, picking up her satchel, "I'm sure I can manage without. For what is the use of those fulsome hoops and bustles, except to make one look silly and peculiar?"

"If you'd like to see silly and peculiar, I advise you look in a mirror," Galinda said, stingingly because stung.

"You're nothing but a blonde twit, you know that?" Elphaba informed her, tired of low comments on her skin colour. Shouldn't people have been used to it by then, with its omnipresence?

"I...I hate you," Galinda's face was flushing and her curls were bouncing and her pulse was rushing and her eyes were narrowing.

"And I hate you, Miss Galinda, yet I never would have guessed you share the feeling, for you seem so sweet and charitable," said Elphaba, her voice thick with sarcasm.

"I _am _sweet and charitable," Galinda said, then added, "Ask anyone in Shiz."

"Of course you would say that, you've turned the students into brainless lapdogs," Elphaba snapped, retrieving a letter to her father from her bedside table.

"Aha!" Galinda exclaimed triumphantly, brandishing a sealed envelope, before she registered what Elphaba had said. Her eyes narrowed. "Well, better brainless than...than ugly!" Elphaba raised an eyebrow, if only out of habit, but said nothing; she picked up her satchel and proceeded to stuff her shoes inside her boots. Once done, and having collected all her things, she left without a backward glance or wave goodbye, slamming the door behind her so it appeared to shudder on its hinges.

Elphaba stomped her way through the crowd of students, carefully avoiding any puddles for the discomfort of wetness, and receiving many stares and smirks and whispers, as per usual. She spotted the Misses Pfannee and Shenshen sauntering through the courtyard, and made sure to avoid them, knowing full well that with her current mood, it would lead to an extremely unpleasant encounter. So she strode straight into Dr. Dillamond's classroom, and took a seat close to the front, digging some materials out of her satchel. She was one of the first students there, but it didn't take long for the rest to arrive, along with Galinda and her posse; then came Dr. Dillamond. The din hushed down to whispers.

"Class, I have read your recent essays on cellular memory, and it is wonderful to finally see some progress," the Goat said, pawing a stack of papers awkwardly. "But I remind you that content is far more valuable than form, Miss Glinda."

"It's _Ga_linda," said the blonde.

"Of course, excuse me, Miss Glinda," Doctor Dillamond said, and Elphaba couldn't help smirking to herself. Galinda looked irritated, and from his seat in the back Boq noted she looked prettier than ever.

"I don't see why you can't pronounce my name properly when every other professor manages to," said Galinda, and Pfannee and Shenshen nodded their unanimous agreement.

"I don't see why you think your precious name is so important to everyone," Elphaba said, tired of this pointless conversation delaying the class.

"Oh, would you look at that!" Galinda said, gesturing dramatically. "The artichoke is steamed!" This caused the class to erupt into laughter, the little puffs of glitter at Galinda's side giggling ridiculously. Elphaba crossed her arms and was about to retort with a biting remark when Doctor Dillamond cut in.

"Class, class!" He shouted, trying to restore order. "Miss Elphaba does have a point. As you all know, I am the token Goat on the faculty; but it wasn't always this way. Long ago, in Shiz's majestic halls there were wildebeests waxing philosophic, snow leopards solving equations, antelopes explicating sonnets. If only it could be now as it once was! But day by day, Oz is becoming less," he glanced at Elphaba, sighing, "colourful. Now who can tell me what sent these events into motion?"

"It started from the great drought, according to what I've read," said Elphaba, her emerald hand waving in the air. Milla murmured something to Shenshen about bamboo, sending both girls into hysterical giggles. Each of them earned a disapproving look from Doctor Dillamond before he continued on with the lesson.

"Exactly. Food grew scarce, people grew hungry, and before cannibalism there must come the fateful question, 'Who can we blame?' Does anyone know what the meaning of the word 'scapegoat' is?" The Goat noticed Elphaba as she promptly raised a hand, and sighed inwardly. "Anyone besides Elphaba?" He was surprised to see the blonde girl from before raise a hand in the air. Perhaps she had some intelligent thoughts in that head of hers after all. "Yes, Miss Glinda?"

"It's _Ga_linda, with a _"GA_"," said Galinda, "and I don't see why you can't just teach us biology instead of teaching us...other things. It's boring." Pfannee, Milla, Shenshen and Cathareen murmured their assent.

"Well, perhaps these questions might change your mind," Doctor Dillamond said, turning over the chalkboard. But a gasp instead of a groan echoed in the room. Written in large, ominous letters was the phrase, "_ANIMALS SHOULD BE SEEN AND NOT HEARD_". Doctor Dillamond looked livid.

"Who is responsible for this?" He asked, looking around the room. "I am waiting for an answer!" But his confidence seemed to falter when the class remained silent. "Very well, class dismissed!"

In the clanking and rustling din, all was forgotten. While a concerned student shared her lunch with her favourite teacher, Galinda set off for the courtyard with a hopeful Boq trailing in her wake.


	4. Something Awkward

**A/N: Oh man. I know I have some explaining to do. Well, you see, I thought I was done with FF for good. But I just keep coming back. It's an addiction. I wouldn't be surprised if I've lost all my happy subscribers by now, but if I haven't, please review and let me know if I've still got it. **

**Disclaimer: It's totally (not) mine.**

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Pfannee was a little lost until she spotted a shock of blond hair and an angelically porcelain, upturned button nose strutting daintily through the crowd gathered in the courtyard. She and Shenshen had been sitting by the elegant fountain, discussing such important matters as the opening of a new shoe store in the Emerald City and the rumoured enrollment of a prince in Shiz, when they realized that they had no idea how to get to their next class, Ozian Law. Pfannee was hoping Galinda would know, or at least would feel socially secure enough to be seen asking such of an antisocial loser who knew everything about the school, like that Munchkinlander boy who kept following her around. But then again, she probably wouldn't deign to go near him of her own volition. She may have been secure, but she wasn't socially suicidal, Pfannee knew that much.

"Miss Galinda, dear! Miss Galinda!" She waved a manicured hand high in the air until the little blonde noticed her and turned in her direction, stopping to wait until Pfannee and Shenshen reached her to speak.

"Oh, thank Oz," Galinda said, "I desperately need a break from any..._thing_ slimy and green and you two lovelies are the perfect antidote." She had pondered saying "anyone" but that would involve acknowledging that the green bean was well and fully a person, and her pride didn't quite allow her to do that.

"Is that worthless, vomit-colored bug at it again?" Shenshen grimaced in sympathy, as elegantly as she could. She could practically hear her mother intoning, _Ladies of your status do not grimace, Shenshen!_ Galinda rolled her eyes and nodded, expressing just how fed up she was with the whole ordeal without saying a word. "It's ridiculous, really. _You _of all people should _not _have to suffer such indignity." Pfannee nodded along with the sentiment, all thoughts of class forgotten.

"Don't I know it. I've already complained to my parents, of _course_," Galinda tossed her curls, "So don't you worry about me, my dears. I'm sure this will all get sorted out and I'll be able to breathe again without worrying about catching one of...that _thing_'s many diseases." Pfannee and Shenshen tittered and took to fanning themselves with their intricately adorned fans. "Now, on another note—I've wasted _far _too much breath even discussing that disgusting topic—how about that Miss Cathareen? I haven't seen her much before, but she doesn't seem to be without social potential. A bit snappy, though; it's not the most attractive trait."

"That is _so _true—" Shenshen chimed eagerly, still stinging from Cathareen's remark the other day.

"Oh, I know all about her," Pfannee cut in, "Her family is quite close with mine and her summer home is right to next to us, so we've had much interaction in the past. She's quite lovely. A little naive, but in a more charming way than anything." She noticed Galinda's bored expression. "She's fun to have around. But of course, no threat to you in any way."

"Of _course_ not, Miss Pfannee! Do you hear the words when they come out of your mouth?" Galinda drew herself up a little more pompously than was necessary, being dramatic as per usual. "Or does Galinda of the _Upper _Uplands mean nothing to you?"

"You're right, I'm sorry."

"That's quite alright, dear Miss Pfannee. It was of no insult to me," Galinda tossed her curls again, out of habit. "However, I do think—" She was interrupted by a resounding cough. The short boy from the other day was standing there, working up the nerve to look her in the eye.

"Erm, Miss G-Galinda?" He was stuttering. "Er, uhm, well...may I ask you a question?" He seemed to be forgetting the process of breathing. Galinda would have felt sorry for him if she wasn't busy feeling sorry for herself for being seen in public with this imbecile. He obviously couldn't take a hint.

"Not much of a choice there, but ask away." Curse her inescapable manners.

"Would you, um, well...could you...do you think...errr...I really don't, um...I was _thinking_, uh..."

"Out with it, Munchkin," a familiar, bored voice intoned, "You really should have practiced this more." Cathareen swished into the group, smiling at the trio of girls and raising a slim eyebrow at Boq. Galinda felt herself nod slightly in approval at Cathareen's comment, perhaps for voicing what she had been too polite to say. She really needed to get out of that mindset—she was an _adult_ now, with no parents to watch over her. A frightening reality, but a refreshing one as well. She could get away with so much more.

"Er, well, you see...uh...I'll come back..." Boq looked deeply regretful at ever approaching the girls. "Much later." He fled with as much dignity as he could muster, which wasn't a smidgen. Galinda let out a breath of relief, rethinking her doubts about the new girl. She seemed to have gathered her wits and social grace and applied them to the situation.

"I must thank you, Miss Cathareen. I don't think I could have sat through that ordeal again."

"Think nothing of it, Miss Galinda," Cathareen smiled, tossing her peroxide locks. While Galinda's locks were more of a corn blonde, Cathareen's were pure peroxide. "I couldn't help stepping in as my eardrums were being repetitively slaughtered. Has that dimwit never heard of sentences?" She smirked a little at her own joke, and Galinda giggled—a sure sign of approval from her if there ever was one, so Pfannee and Shenshen joined in. It was only second nature.

xxx

Boq was mortified for the second time in two days. That was undoubtedly some kind of record. Either he was delusional, or...no, he was definitely delusional. There was no way a girl of her class, her status, her _looks_—oh, her heavenly looks. Unparalleled, they were. More beautiful than any—

"Oof!" Boq felt himself blush again as he bumped headfirst into something hard and...bony? So it was definitely someone. He felt his overactive blood vessels make him blush deeper and wished he could just cut his own head off right there and save himself a lifetime of misery and embarrassment. "Sorry, I—"

"If you've actually thought of it, don't bother. The mere thought is acres more of an apology than anyone here has professed to me." An unfriendly voice said dryly. Boq rubbed his head and looked up into the sunlight, which was almost blocked by the towering, green spectacle of a girl he had seen earlier. She was naturally difficult to miss. He didn't bother acting like everyone else did: disgusted, scared. He was almost as much of an outcast as she was, and he knew what that felt like.

Elphaba was surprised that he wasn't shouting exorcism prayers or hurling obscenities at her. Marveling at the things she had to be thankful for, she held out her hand for the boy to grab on to and hoisted him off the ground with surprisingly little effort for her slim frame. But then again, he wasn't so large either. She opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by yet another eloquent sentence.

"Er, I'm Boq. Nice to, uh, meet you." Boq was back in awkward mode. Galinda was driving him insane.

"Oh really?" Elphaba was skeptical. It was so unusual for someone to glance twice at her without sneering somewhere in between.

"Um," Boq was stumped for a second. For Oz's sake, had his brain gone entirely to mush? He pondered this and regained some of his sensible conversational skills. "Yeah, really. You're the first person here who's been any measure of nice to me, who hasn't just tried to shut me up as soon as I started talking..." Oh, how joyful. Here he was, spilling his insecurities and frustrations to, essentially, a complete stranger. He didn't have much to lose, but it was disconcerting that he had sunk so low. And he used to be the lovable one.

"I could say the same myself," Elphaba's eyes had softened a fraction, though she didn't smile. "My name is Elphaba. It's—surprisingly—nice to meet you, too." She strode away, book bag awkwardly bumping against her hip, leaving Boq to wonder why the only girls that were nice to him were the ones he didn't care for.


	5. The Raging Tempest

**A/N: Hey, wow. A quick update. Thanks to my reviewers, who inspired me to update this quickly! Hint, hint.  
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**I really hope this was a good chapter, because I was a little iffy about it. I don't really know what happened, but eventually it steered me instead of the other way around. The best thing you can do is let me know in a review!**

**Disclaimer: Never owned it, never will. Don't even hope to.  
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The odd encounter with Boq had almost been enough to take Elphaba's mind off of the little spat with her roommate that morning. Almost. The frosty little thing had barely said anything to inflict damage until she had come out with that obviously last-minute retort. _Ugly_. Elphaba felt the foul taste of that word in her mouth as she tried it out, peering at herself in the mirror, wishing desperately for it to twist and reveal a new version of her. She knew that she wasn't really horrid-looking per se; her features were easy on the eyes, if a little pointy, once you got past all the green. The trouble was...you couldn't. And she always knew that it was better not to keep a mirror around at all, so as not to be reminded of something so trivial and shallow as her physical appearance. But for something so trivial, it had become quite omnipresent, especially with the vanity Galinda had brought to their dormitory. She passed by it every morning, trying not to look, but it was inescapable. She was _ugly_. It felt like a cattle brand.

The last thing she wanted now was to be around people; to essentially feel, not hear, everyone's snide whispers and backhanded compliments. As much as she had wanted to spend her short break between classes basking in the sunshine, the courtyard was filled to burst with students, all gathered around some spectacle or other. _No doubt some idiot showing off their lack of redeeming qualities, _she thought wryly, clutching her book tighter to herself in an effort to...what? Shield herself from the inevitable onslaught of insults? It was easier to just keep out of everyone's way. She didn't know what had happened, but the fight seemed to have gone out of her—perhaps all used up after yesterday's great ordeal of arriving at the damn school. Ducking her head, Elphaba turned on her heel and trudged back to her current abode, scowling at the ground.

It was only when she was curled up securely in her drab bed that she remembered the recent conversation with her History professor. Dr. Dillamond had seemed genuinely distraught, and it worried her to see someone so composed go to pieces in a matter of minutes. If something terrible was going on, and if someone was silencing all the whistle-blowers, the normally peaceful land Oz could be shaken to its core. And she didn't know how composed she would be it if did.

xxx

Given some time to think, Boq decided he would approach Galinda once again. Perhaps she would warm to him if he could actually spit out a proper sentence this time. She was a proper lady; her noble upbringing practically seeped out of her pores. He could appreciate that.

He paced himself into a frenzy, desperately wracking his brain for something charming to say, muttering himself like someone who had really lost his mind. He was completely new in the whole elaborate courting domain, and failure seemed to loom no matter what he did. But he would try. There was no harm in that.

Words failed him so he just thought. _Oh Oz, there's no way she'll buy any of this, _he grimaced to himself, on the verge of going back to his dorm and picking apart his own wounds. But he took a deep breath instead, and continued pacing, thinking frantically. She would most likely leave soon, off to her next class or whatever else she wanted to do at this time of day, which would most likely be shopping. That was so cute of her. _Okay, just focus. _Focus_, Boq. You CAN do this._ Should he start off with a compliment? That seemed relatively safe, if overdone. Perhaps it was so because it was just a good tactic, and everyone recognized it. So before he could talk himself out of this suicide dive, he drew in a deep breath and strode back to the fountain, where everyone was gathered.

He could hear her tinkling voice, rising above the polite murmurs of assent and loud squeals of excitement. He didn't really care what it was all about—most likely some tired old excuse for entertainment, void of depth or humor or anything else truly entertaining—but curiosity pricked him and he indulged it. Craning his neck over the crowd...well, he still couldn't see anything. He pushed through the cluster of people, muttering hasty apologies. Then he saw her, dressed in cream and rose, smiling angelically at a spectacle of a young man, and he felt something less than heartbreak but more than disappointment tear at his chest.

He stared at her for a minute longer, and then he left.

xxx

There was no ray of sunlight filtering in through the curtains the next morning, and Elphaba didn't wake until the dormitory was pleasantly, disturbingly empty. It was all very lovely, but she woke with a start because she was undoubtedly late. But no. A glance at the quaint little clock on the wall told her she was nothing of the sort. Galinda had taken extra measures to avoid her today, it seemed. She wasn't sure what to think of that at first, but decided on relief.

She yawned and stretched, baring her teeth and almost looking like the animal everyone expected her to be. Gazing at the turmoil outside her window, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and proceeded to do what she did in the morning. In the end, she always ended up looking the same: studious, drab and resigned.

Traipsing out of her dormitory with that sameness on her shoulders, Elphaba resolved to forget, as soon as possible, the whole occurrence with Galinda. It would only do her harm. So she closed her eyes, cleared her mind—using maximum effort—and shifted her thoughts to her first class of the day, Business. It was one she unfortunately shared with the blonde girl, but she decided to ignore her and leave it at that.

The classroom smelled like dust and it made her feel at home in a slightly perverse way, never having felt at home in her actual house no matter how dusty it got, until she laid eyes on Galinda giggling daintily with a pair of her friends. She had someone else with her, someone entirely new to her group of friends, and Elphaba was a little disgusted that she had noticed such a thing. Whoever it was had their back to her, so it was easy to dismiss her curiosity and choose a seat as far away from the group as possible.

Of course, they still noticed her.

"Well, there she is. I told you, Miss Cathareen."

"I can't even begin to describe some_thing_"—they had inevitably picked that up from their curly-haired ringleader—"so...so...incredibly...Oz, my eloquence escapes me."

"Oh dear, yes, it's quite unfortunate, you know, she's just..."

"_Unfortunate? _Closer to _miserable, _Miss Shenshen! I only can't believe it's _possible _to just..." Milla shook her head in apparent disbelief.

The new arrival was confused. He tried to hide it. "Who...is that?"

"That's no one, darling, just a little oddity..." Galinda spoke up a little, too loudly to be merely conversing, "Really no one to be speaking of." And that was that. A careful phrase, a pointed glance, and Galinda had nipped the conversation and any possibility of its continuance in the bud. She smiled triumphantly, and turned back to her beau, who didn't look any less confused. However, that was a relatively permanent expression.

The Business professor walked in just then, the heels of his loafers clicking rhythmically.

"Hello, students! Welcome to Business!"

"Alright, I'm bored," the prince intoned, leaning back in his chair and crossing his feet on his desk. The teacher shot him a look.

"Shh, dear," Galinda whispered.

"To start, please turn to page 384 in your textbooks."

"This is _ridiculous!_" The young man just couldn't help himself. "It's _nonsense! _Work! On my first day! Outrage."

This time, Elphaba shot him a look as well, and promptly froze for a second or ten.

He was gorgeous.

And she was disgusted with herself for being attracted to him.

It was obvious that he was a complete imbecile, and every logical part of her being screamed for her to back right up and extricate from her mind what she had just seen. It wasn't as if she hadn't seen beauty before. Beauty that was now flirting outrageously with her roommate.

She turned around resolutely, and blamed it on hormones.

xxx

The class was longer and more laborious than Elphaba had originally expected, but she knew she was solitary in her hardship. This irked her. She was thankful at times like this that she had no one to divulge her secrets to, no one with whom she shared personal information—especially the kind she couldn't quite admit to herself. It irritated her deeply that there even was such a thing in existence, a fact that she wouldn't dare to share with her own conscience. She wouldn't. _She. Would. Not._

It irked her.

She really needed to get away from the vicinity of any living, breathing, _talking _thing so she could just think and perhaps be a little more dramatic and young than she usually allowed herself. Sighing again—a hobby she seemed to have taken up, she noted dryly—Elphaba traipsed towards the park. Her first thoughts had gone to the library, but it would be less than deserted, and melodramatic thought processing on empty rooftops was really not something she advised for herself. In the dismal weather, there would be no one at the park. She was sure of it.

Her feet lead her on as her thoughts traveled elsewhere. She had memorized the map of the place. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to get lost—she allowed herself that shred of arrogance, though she supposed it wasn't quite arrogance if it was true. It was easy to admit, if only to herself, that she was not completely as self-assured as she appeared. That wasn't to say that she was some kind of hapless misfit with self-esteem issues. She wasn't hapless.

As she sat on a freezing bench, double-crossing her legs, the train of thought she was taking eventually led her to the fact that she had feelings.

She hated that.

It was too easy and too difficult all at once, to feel. She acknowledged that. She hated herself for being so theatrical, even in her own head.

She heard a rustle and a voice.

"Uh...hi. Miss Elphaba, was it?" Boq was standing there, red-cheeked, looking slightly flustered. Elphaba smiled grimly, nodding. She didn't reply. "Is it okay if I sit?" He was shivering a bit. She nodded again, almost imperceptibly. She noticed that he seemed to have regained his ability to speak properly, with perhaps a little remaining awkwardness.

Awkwardness in which they sat for six more minutes before Boq spoke again.

"You must be cold." It was true that she was wearing merely a shawl over a plain shift, her little legs covered by drab stockings tucked into worn boots. Her current state of self-hatred allowed her not to care. However, she felt she owed him a reply.

"You must be cold as well," she said in monotone. It was true that he was the one shivering. The weather was blustery, with gray skies and grayish leaves falling from the withered trees. Elphaba tried her best not to look affected, but she couldn't help the occasional shudder.

"I'm not—well, I am cold. Doesn't really matter," the Munchkin said bitterly. Elphaba could tell this would be an unpleasant exchange; the air was thick with tongue-tied tension. She really had no idea what to say to this strange boy, strange for coming so close to someone as strange as her. Strange was a nice word compared to what they called her.

Shit. The second day, and she was fed up with everyone.

She attributed it to hormones.

"I'm not really sure how to reply to that," Elphaba said honestly, throwing caution to a wind that would surely catch it. She knew he was seeking comfort, in a backhanded way.

"Fine by me," He said it without any bitterness or any undertone at all, really, his voice gone flat. The silence progressed.

She remembered that she should be irritated, that this was supposed to be her time of solitude; the feeling of relief at being spoken to by someone who didn't shrink in fear or rise in contempt at her mere presence was undeniable, so she ignored what she remembered and concentrated on what she didn't know.

"Look, why are you here?" Elphaba said bluntly. Boq's face remained hollow. Anything that was bothering this boy had to be severe, or else he wouldn't seek...what? Comfort? Friendship? Conversation? She honestly had no idea what it was that he wanted, but she was curiously shocked at the apparent fact that he wanted it with her. Her tone became gentler. "_Here, _I mean. With _me_."

Boq drew himself up a little, looking in her eyes.

"And what is it, really, that is just so_ terrible _about you?" It wasn't completely a question, nor was it a mere sarcastic retort. Before it could make her think, Elphaba said the first thing that sprang to mind.

"I'm green." It wasn't very original.

"I don't give a damn. You're a decent person," he said, wondering where all this bravado had come from, and why it hadn't been there when he was facing Galinda. "I assume you have the heart to have a conversation with someone who starts one with you, lonely as you must be."

She felt like a charity case.

She knew she was wrong about that in more ways than one, but she felt it nonetheless.

"Well, _thank you_. Thank you _kindly _for deigning to speak to someone as lowly and lonely as I," she sneered, eyes ablaze, bony little fists clenched in their fuzzy pockets, "I don't need your damn charity." She stood up abruptly. "Enjoy your conversation." And she strode away, leaving him dejected and a little dazed.

Later she wondered why she had pushed away the only person who had ever expressed indifference to her skin colour.

She attributed it to hormones.


	6. Seconds to Minutes

**A/N: Ladies and gentlemen, I give you...the longest chapter yet! See what I can do when fueled by reviews?**

**Disclaimer: The only thing I own is some characters' personality quirks and sweet little Cathareen. Oh yeah, and this story.  
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**After Business, Galinda had Literature. She was sorely disinterested in it and sure it had little relevance to her future career, but she had to be cultured to be taken seriously in her social circles—or to be acknowledged at all, really. Her own parents would want nothing to do with her if she was unable to hold up a conversation with their dinner guests. She would not stand for that in any circumstances.

So she went to class.

The lecture was extremely boring, as expected, but Galinda skipped out of there like a poised, rabid squirrel. She eagerly approached what could only be called her posse at this point and smirked triumphantly, slipping into a slightly dazed grin before she righted her expression and she was smirking once more.

"Ladies, I have excellent news!" She trilled, every inch of her body positively buzzing with excitement, her golden curls bouncing every which way. Pfannee perked up instantly like a dog smelling incoming scraps, while Shenshen and Milla continuing conversing between themselves quietly. Cathareen simply looked bored. It was almost disheartening, but Galinda was too elated to care. "There is going to be a party this weekend, and Master Fiyero has just invited me to be his date!"

That got their attention. The expected giggles and shrieks seemed to shoot through her system, increasing her excitement. She thrived on these girlie moments. She also realized that if she went any further, she would be behaving like a fool before most of Shiz's students, so she lowered herself onto the bench with grace, continuing to smile like a cat with a bird fresh in its belly as the girls pressed her for details.

"Now, now, we must discuss this in private," Galinda said as she sobered a little, though the triumphant, gloating look still lingered. "It would be foolish to let all of Shiz to be privy to our secret planning. No one must know the details of the ball before it occurs."

"When do you suggest we meet for a discussion?" Pfannee took to the conversation with immediate understanding of its delicate undertone; Shenshen, in her yellow dress, pursed her lips with irritation. She looked like a canary whose feathers had been ruffled.

"Tomorrow morning, instead of attending Arts class," Galinda's voice dropped to a murmur, "We will meet in my dormitory to converse on the topic of the ball and, most importantly, our attire." She would need to write her mother a letter if she wanted a dress in time. Her mother would take care of it. She thought of dresses and beauty and all those things she had to do to look presentable at the ball, and she thought of something.

"Most importantly," she continued, "Little Miss Rotten Artichoke will know nothing about this. Understood? Absolutely nothing. We can't have her showing up and embarrassing us more than herself." The collective nods from the girls assured her. If Elphaba showed up, there was no telling what would happen at the ball; it could turn into the disaster of the century if she wasn't watchful of her the entire time, and she simply couldn't be bothered to be hovering over her like a nursemaid when it was _her _night. There was absolutely no way she would be jeopardizing her status or her enjoyment for a small laugh, even if it was a ridiculously funny one.

xxx

The dormitory room was empty, desolate as it were, not the comforting solace Elphaba had hoped for. She tried everything to get her mind off her conversation with Boq, off the boy himself, but when her thoughts left him, they ultimately turned to the new boy she had noticed in class that morning. The nature of both topics was novel to her mind and largely unappealing, so she had no choice but to seek out some kind of company to distract her. Being friendless left her with one option: a conversation with her sister.

Nessa's room was tucked in a cozy corner of the same dormitory she lived in; in a bout of generosity, Madame Morrible had placed her there with accessibility in mind. The poor girl was just as lonely as her older sister, and there was no need to increase the seclusion by putting the two as far away from each other as possible. She had no doubt that Morrible had thought about it—she seemed to be driven to increase Nessa's independence, and Elphaba thought that she had her work cut out for her—but decided against it in the end. Her reasons were unknown. The outcome was all that mattered to the green girl.

Drawing in a breath, Elphaba rapped on the door to Nessa's private room, and turned the knob when she heard herself being beckoned in by her sister's unfailingly sweet voice. Once she saw the vast expanse of the dormitory, and that there was no need, none at all, to keep her things on one specific side of the room, Elphaba nearly turned and went to ask Morrible to place Nessa with that chit Galinda and leave her be in peace. Instead, she fixed on a smile.

"Hello, Nessa." She addressed the girl, who was sitting in her chair and resolutely ignoring her, gazing at a book in her lap but not really seeing it. Nessa looked up and smiled at her plaintively before looking back down at the old tome. It was a textbook of sorts. "Is something wrong?"

"Of course there is!" Nessa exclaimed, suddenly lit with a fire that burned self-righteously, almost stupidly. "_Everyone_ has heard about the ball on Saturday and I will be unable to attend. Think of the disgrace! A girl like me, especially without a date."

For once, Elphaba was stumped. She hadn't heard about any sort of ball, but she knew instantly who was behind it. That venomous social butterfly. She regretted that she could do nothing for her sister; perhaps Nessa would settle for sympathy. She sat on the bed in an effort to look less imposing, as she had to look up to look in her sister's eyes. She knew it made her feel more equal to Elphaba.

"Nessa, I know what that is like, believe me," she said, sighing with the effort of speaking of what had been on her mind ever since she had seen that pompous boy in Business class. "But you don't need to feel alone on the matter. I'm here for you and I feel the same way." So that last part was a lie. She didn't actually think twice of the ball, now that she knew of it; it was obviously just an excuse to trot oneself out and be viewed like a prize racing horse, arms akimbo, waiting for the judges' appraisal. She needed none of that.

"_No_, Elphaba! I don't need your pity, or your companionship!" Nessa almost shrieked, stomping her delicate feet, which were still in those shoes. Majestic shoes that glittered effervescently and ones that could never be tiring, never let anyone grow bored of looking at them. They were dazzling, heavenly, and surely, Elphaba thought, her father's love for Nessa manifested straight into footwear.

They made her nauseous.

She was suddenly too tired to speak and too dizzy with irritation to do anything about it, so all she did was fall back on the bed and close her eyes as Nessa raved on. "It _could _ be the best thing that ever happened to me, but of course, no one wants a girl who _sits _perpetually! But I don't need your sympathy, Elphaba! I can handle myself!"

"Oh yes, you are an exceptionally self-reliant invalid," Elphaba scoffed. Her sister was being as self-contradicting as ever. She wondered if there was any new reason at all that Nessa seemed to go mad at the mere of idea of insult, rather than a shockingly tender ego.

Or perhaps she could just blame it on hormones again. That seemed to be working for her.

Even then, she couldn't take it much longer when the huge book in Nessa's lap flew and nearly hit her square in the face, bouncing off the pillow she was resting her head on. It appeared that Nessa had taken her sarcasm to heart. Elphaba bolted up, trying to keep her livid expression at bay. They had always gotten along when they were children; she didn't understand why Nessa insisted on being unbearable now. Perhaps the comment had been too much, but she refused to censor herself for her sister. The sheltered girl had to know about the cruelty of the world outside her window, had to know what people thought when they looked at her.

She would later wonder, as she stared out the window in her own room, if she was merely trying to get back at her, in some misdirected way, for being so loved when Elphaba was so despised by the one person they had in common. If she was trying to make her feel equally hated.

But she didn't think of that now.

Glaring daggers at her sister, she stood up and strode towards the door. "It's no wonder no one wants you if you're unable to appreciate the company of your relatives," she snapped, taking in Nessa's shocked expression with sick glee, savoring it. "Who could love such an ungrateful...such an...ah, screw it." She slammed the door behind herself, leaning against it, trying to steady her breath. She had meant to say "twit" but that would inevitably get back to her father and everything would collapse beneath her as it usually did. It was a wonder, though, that she had the guts to speak to her sister like that at all. But perhaps it wasn't guts. Perhaps it was just cowardice to treat someone so despicably robbed of their independence like a worthless bother, to use them as an outlet for her anger.

Elphaba scowled as guilt immediately flooded through her, choking and silencing her anger. This was the inevitable outcome. She would eventually apologize, once she had gathered her wits and crushed her ego enough to fit it down her throat, Nessa would forget she had done anything wrong, and they would go back to their relative civility until something else happened and the cycle continued.

It was their circle of life.

xxx

Boq had walked all the way from the park to sit in the now deserted courtyard for some quiet, thoughtful pondering; perhaps it would relieve his headache. His efforts were futile, as it wasn't long before he heard his name being called.

"Master Boq! Master Boq!"

But then again, he had been anticipating this. Huffing breaths and a familiar voice that called after him as if he were running away.

There would be no peace for him today.

He watched warily as Elphaba stalked into view, trying to pretend she wasn't out of breath and that she hadn't been running all the way there. She straightened herself up, still panting, looking ridiculous. Boq nearly burst out laughing. The sight was almost better than an apology.

And then he sobered. Oh yes, the apology that he had been expecting. He didn't know her, he didn't owe her anything, and it was only civil to apologize for the despicable behavior she had displayed earlier that day. _Galinda _would never have—well, that was Galinda, a love interest, and Elphaba was the perfect opposite. Only he faced rejection from both.

He scowled. This better be good.

"Yes, Miss Elphaba?" He raised his eyebrows with a carefully inquisitive expression on his face, apathetic but not disinterested. Bored curiosity. Elphaba looked a little taken aback, but then she took another great gulp of air and sat down beside him, swiveling to face him reluctantly with more than a little shame in her eyes.

"Um, hi..." He was getting déjà vu now, but he pushed that aside in order to properly relish her insecurity. Even with the minimal knowledge he had of her, it had been obvious that her little speech with him had been all grandstanding and bravado, and now that she knew of her fumble, she was exposed. A turtle without its shell.

Then he almost whacked himself on the head when he realized what he had thought of for the comparison. _A_ turtle? He chided himself exasperatedly. _Green, Boq, you idiot. You said that didn't matter, and here you are._

"You see, I..." She was still trying to form a sentence, seeming to run over various thoughts in her head, weighing her options carefully. When she made a disgusted sound in the back of her throat, he looked up sharply, frowning, thinking it had been directed at him. "I apologize; that's what I mean." Ah, so he had misread the gesture. It was all self-directed. Leave it to the outcast to internalize her frustrations.

He thought of how similar that was to him.

"Oh really?" Boq parrotted some of the first words she had ever said to him, just as rude as they were then. "For what, might I ask?" Elphaba visibly balked, realizing he was milking the situation for all it was worth.

"Alright, there's no need for any—"

"Clarification? That's all I ask for, Miss Elphaba, nothing more," he said in his infuriatingly polite tone, gazing up at her innocently. She huffed.

"I apologize for—for being, ah...impolite...and petulant, I guess," Elphaba muttered. Boq could almost visibly see her swallowing her pride. It was delicious. This was exactly as he'd felt speaking to her, and she'd snubbed him. But he would be more merciful than she had been, if only to keep himself from sinking entirely to her level.

Smug grin still planted firmly on his face, Boq nodded his acceptance and turned away from her, shifting in his seat. He was still gloating, but he had nothing to say.

She fixed the problem.

"Er, well. Um..."

"Having trouble speaking?" He smirked, trying his best to keep his tone unoffensive, regardless of the content. He was already being ignored by girls; he didn't need to start being attacked by them.

"No, not at all," Elphaba said as she seemed to gather her words. It disappointed him a little, but he supposed the conversation would have to move before it withered and dropped dead. "I need...to ask you a favor."

"_What?_" It was Elphaba's turn to see Boq in shock, but she cringed at the mere outrageousness of her request. His reaction was expected; she barely knew the boy, just apologized to him for stomping his attempts at friendship in the dust, and now...a favor? Somehow she thought he would say no before she got a chance to explain.

All the more reason to steamroller on.

"My sister's all alone and she needs a date and she just threw a book—_a book_—at me and she's being insufferable and I _really _need to cheer her up or else I'll never hear the end of it and she's there by herself every d—"

"Miss Elphaba!" Boq was rubbing his temples. So much for quiet thought. The headache he'd had since morning was increasing and Elphaba's hurried verbal rampage was unbearable. "I'll do it, just _quiet_, _please_." He rubbed his eyes, pressed his knuckles to his eyeballs, massaged the bridge of his nose. Nothing was providing any permanent help. Damn pressure. He was always so sensible to the weather. He looked up, tired, and was met with Elphaba's shocked expression, eyes wide and mouth opening and closing like some mossy goldfish. But not mossy, never mossy, just goldfish, of course.

_Damn, there's the green thing again. It's inescapable! Why can't I let it go? _He scowled, and quickly rectified it with a shake of his head when Elphaba seemed to think he was scowling at _her_. She was oddly quiet—had she said something about getting hit with a book? that might explain it—save for the little speech, but it was relieving.

"You're serious?" She asked, eyes wary, excitement hiding behind a little glass door inside in case it got crushed. She looked like a Puppy.

He snapped his attention away from her adorable expression. Oh right, he had to know what exactly it was that he was agreeing to. He'd only said yes so she would shut up.

"Er...well, what did you say you needed me to do exactly?" He cringed as he watched her visibly sink.

"Nothing—nothing _much_, really," she hesitated for a long time before she spoke again, biting the proverbial bullet. "Just—just ask my sister out. On a date. To a ball. Therenothingbigsee—"

"_WHAT?_" He looked like he was going to swallow his tongue. Sweet Oz! It took him ages to build up the nerve to ask girls he liked out on a date...oh, right. "Hold on, who's your sister?"

"The...the invalid." It was harsh, but it was the only way she could describe it. "She's very pretty, though." There was also that. It was actually a good thing in this situation—Nessa was the opposite of intimidating, but she was also beautiful; the submissive portrait of the quintessential girl. Elphaba's eyes darkened. Even with useless legs, the girl was perfect.

"Oh, that's true," Boq's eyes stirred with recognition as he seemed to come to his decision, "I remember her. Well, alright. Just one date?"

"Well, I was hoping you could date _before _the ball so you know each other a little..."

"El—Miss Elphaba!" He blushed, having almost forgotten the title, and watched her smirk like a cat spotting easy prey, no doubt satisfied with his flustered state. It was odd: she wanted something from him, but she seemed to be enjoying watching him decide instead of desperately trying to make him do it. "Can't we just—"

"_Please_, Master Boq," Elphaba said, shifting closer to him, "It makes sense, does it not? You could have the time of your life at the ball if you knew each other better...and I know you were hoping to go with someone." That last part was a complete bluff; she had no idea if he had wanted to, he just seemed like the type, and the majority of Shiz were hoping to go. It was a clever front if anything, and it earned her the prize.

"_Fine_," he said, sighing as if he were doing some grand gesture, but Elphaba felt grateful all the same.

"Thank you, thank you!" She jumped up and down a little on the bench, clearly gleeful. "She'll be thrilled! Just come by room 107 in that dormitory over there," she pointed at a tall, stocky building on the opposite side of campus, "At about...5 o'clock. Bring flowers!" And in a completely unorthodox invasion of privacy and a completely uncharacteristic show of affection that Boq had to admit he wholeheartedly enjoyed, she gave him a bone-crushing hug and practically skipped away.


	7. Unfolding Arms

**A/N: If a room without books is like a body without a soul, then a fanfic without reviews is like an inspired author without motivation. Thanks for each and every one.**

**Disclaimer: I put my soul in this. My heart. My liver. A couple kidneys. And it _still _isn't mine.**

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**The pages seemed to flip on their own beneath Elphaba's fingers as she hastily skimmed her current read before turning back to the first chapter. She had taken it upon herself to prepare for her first sorcery class—ridiculous as the mere notion of such a class sounded—and the best way to do it was to read what little instruction Madame Morrible had left her with. The pseudo manual happened to be a thin leather-bound book with a green ribbon for marking one's page; _An Introduction to the Elements of Sorcery _was embedded in gold leaf on the cover. Appealing to the eye, but the contents were as basic as it got. Thirsty as she was to delve straight into the expert topics, Elphaba scowled at the shallow overview, but had to admit that it was futile for a novice to start anywhere but at the beginning.

It was full of history, some of which was actually interesting, much to Elphaba's surprise. She curled into herself on her bed, open book propped up on the sharp slant of her legs, eyes darting from word to word. There was a multitude of information about the first sorcerers, the ones that had really had something going for them instead of the odd premonition that came true by some fluke of destiny. They were the ones that had saved entire villages from drought by conjuring water, captured wild beasts, and restored order to nature torn apart by earthquakes or typhoons. Interest peaked, Elphaba flipped a page and came upon a yellowed scrap of paper with indiscernible words on it that were too faded to even figure out the language. All she could make out was a large, ornate letter Y preceding the rest of the text. Shrugging and setting it aside, she continued with the rest of the book, the insignificant note easily slipping out of her mind.

xxx

A small sigh emitted from her lips as Galinda perched on one of the many velvet chairs in the dress shop, failing to harness her annoyance. Waiting was not something she normally did, and even if she preferred her current surroundings to her dusty dormitory, where she had met up with her girls earlier, her impatience couldn't be helped. It was nearly enough to make her reconsider deciding to shop for her dress with her friends instead of leaving everything up to her mother the way she normally did, but she didn't have that kind of flexible pride. After all the reassuring she had done of her independence and capability in the adult world, it would be mortifying to have to back down because of something so small.

A low moan sounded and Galinda looked up to where Cathareen was still clutching her stomach, jaw clenched in pain or discomfort. Faint creases appeared between Galinda's eyebrows as she appraised the girl. It was wholly disgusting to hear of someone else's motion sickness, that was true, but she couldn't help being worried for her health. It had come on so quickly, and the carriage ride there had been mild, which meant Cathareen was either extremely sensitive—or she had caught a bug. Galinda needed to know which one it was, in case she would have to be keeping her fan very close to her mouth and waving away bacteria in the girl's presence for the next few days. It was best to be warned of these things.

"My dears, I apologize for the delay," the shop owner had come back with five garment bags dangling on her plump arms, making dents in her skin as she towed them towards a rack. "I have simply too many dresses down there; it took me ages to find the right sizes."

"Ages indeed," Galinda muttered, standing up, and smiled at the woman when she looked at her, hoping she hadn't heard. "Thank you very much, Mrs. Standish." Milla and Pfannee murmured their thanks, while Shenshen stepped forward eagerly.

"May we see the masterpieces? I'm bursting with excitement," she gushed, and Galinda sent her a sharp look. That had been worded all wrong. _Such lack of character ought to be punishable by law, _she thought as Mrs. Standish merely smiled at Shenshen when Galinda had expected to savor watching the girl be reprieved without being a part of it. Scowling inwardly, she accepted the garment bag that Mrs. Standish held out to her, sagging under the weight of it as she followed the woman to the fitting rooms.

"Just there, and let me know if you need assistance," she smiled warmly at them and left.

They all but dashed into the cramped cubicles, the tap of their heels drowned in a rustle of skirts and bags. Galinda shut the door behind her and scratched her nose where it had been itching for the past five minutes, sighing in relief as the pesky feeling left her. Unzipping the garment bag, she gently removed the dress from its hanger and hung it off a hook on the wall. She slipped off her current attire and shimmied into the full skirt and tight bodice of the new one, appraising herself in the fitting room's full-length mirror. It was a confection of gold and the lightest rose, with just enough sparkles and the right length to be deemed lavish instead of tawdry. It was also quite...tight? No, that couldn't be possible, it couldn't! But it seemed to be, as it was near impossible to get a breath of air in that dress. Galinda gasped, not from lack of air but of sheer shock. This could _not _be happening to her, not when everything had been going so smoothly! If she stepped out of the fitting room right then, the girls would see the difference…they would know. As much as she liked to pretend otherwise, they weren't stupid. Rumors would spread and she would be ruined. No society dame ever let herself get to the point where she took on the appearance of an unpeeled sausage in her ball gown.

Eyes glossing over, she yanked the dress off herself, wishing she could tear it to shreds and solve all her problems instead of creating more. She slid against the wall and sank down on the floor in her slip, blinking feverishly. She hadn't been able to fit into her usual size. That meant she had gained weight. Her breath was quickening as she pinched at her stomach frantically, sure she looked like a certified bucket of lard by now. She wished she could just rip it off, or slice her stomach open and drain the fluid, anything to get rid of the nauseating feeling that she wasn't pretty anymore, that she would be deemed worthless by anyone who noticed the change.

_No, stop it. Stop this, Galinda. Enough with the dramatics. _As much as she tended to overstress, there was no way she would break down within hearing distance of anyone, not to mention that shedding a single tear would ruin her makeup. She tried to talk some sense into herself, willing herself to believe that it was just a matter of different designers and cuts, but her inner beast of insecurity reared its head and would not be silenced.

Fumbling for a solution, she thought perhaps she could call her mother, pride be damned, and ask for a dress. But then…it would have to be a size up; there would be questions that would eventually lead to a conversation that did little for her self-worth. She could hear the snide remarks now: _Darling, when you said you weren't a little girl anymore, I had no idea you intended on taking it this far. _She smiled bitterly. Who was she kidding? "Pride be damned"? This would only add to all the things she hadn't done right in her life, the ones her mother insisted on acknowledging more than her accomplishments. Beauty was currency and she refused to be poor in any sense of the word.

The little..._problem_ would need to be fixed on her own. A true test of character: could she manage to fit in her dress by the ball? Did she have the dedication? If anything, she knew she had developed a sense of ambition fueled by sheer panic, a familiar feeling that flooded her when she was in danger of dropping from her station in society, or in others' eyes, which was essentially the same thing. The ball was mere days away, but failing was not an option. The sole word conjured trains of thought too frightening to take.

She would buy the dress, and she _would _look beautiful in it when the time came, even if that meant she didn't eat much until then. There was no other way. But first, she needed to get out of there, or she would surely faint from the heady claustrophobia she got whenever she glanced in the mirror directly in front of her, knowing she couldn't get away.

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, she slipped into her own dress and placed the other one back in the garment bag, gathering it in her arms. Her fingers fumbled as she unlocked the door, stepping out of the fitting room to meet the curious eyes of her friends, watching closely as the interest faded to disappointment with a blink of their eyes.

"Where did your dress go?" Milla looked bewildered. "We were looking forward to seeing it."

"That, you will be seeing at the ball," Galinda smiled mischievously, hoping her eyes weren't glassy enough to cause suspicion. If her friends noticed, they paid no mind. Already in their dresses, they looked lovely, and Galinda had to bite back a sigh at the sight of Milla in violet ruffles, Pfannee in magenta tulle and Shenshen in indigo silk, each of them dazzlingly beautiful. She never thought she would envy her friends, who she really thought of as her underlings at that point. They smiled at Galinda as something occurred to her.

"Where is Miss Cathareen?"

"She had to step out for some fresh air; the poor thing was dying inside," Pfannee said it like she wished she was still inside so she could continue. Galinda thought to mention something, but if any power play was going on between the two, she didn't care to get involved.

"I don't blame her. The dust here coupled with her sickness must be terribly harrowing," Galinda scrunched up her nose in distaste, an easy expression to make thanks to the distressing thoughts still plaguing her mind. "I'll need some fresh air as well, just for a minute or two."

She was thankful for the easy exit as she strode toward the door, ready to breathe in some sweet oxygen and soothe her cluttered mind. The bell above the door rang as she exited the shop, automatically opening her mouth to greet Cathareen as she spotted her, alarmingly close and, she noticed, swaying dangerously, with those frosty blue eyes staring right through her. Stumped, she froze on the spot and could only watch for the brief seconds before Cathareen collapsed onto her, almost banging her forehead into her own. Galinda swore silently as she pulled the unconscious girl into herself, as if for a hug, and frantically rapped on the door of the shop until the owner came running.

xxx

There were only so many things Elphaba could handle when it came to apologizing, and she was sure that twice in two days was not one of them. So perhaps she wasn't the right person to have as much pride as she did, but she mused to herself that one had to build a thick skin when that skin happened to be green. She also hated to be wrong—admitting it was worse, especially when it came to her sister. The girl made it worse on purpose.

"Ow!" She yelled in surprise as she nearly flew into someone, and was immediately embarrassed with herself for having such a girlie verbal reflex. Her eyes shot up to look at the blond boy flush in front of her. "Sorry, I—"

"You should watch where you're stepping a little more carefully, Miss…"

"Elphaba," she supplied instantly, too stumped to take offense at the comment.

"Pleasure to meet you, the graceful Miss Elphaba," he grinned, getting his own joke. "The name's Avaric." She widened her eyes at him slightly and mumbled a hasty "nice to meet you" before she tried to sidestep him as fast as possible. He mirrored her actions and they bounced back and forth, ending up in front of each other every time. Just as she was about to protest and do something about the ridiculous dance, Avaric placed both hands on either side of her waist to hold her in place, bypassed her with a parting grin and kept on his way, leaving a flabbergasted Elphaba to collect her thoughts.

They had to be putting something in the food here.

She knew that if she had any sense at all, she would have taken the courteous gestures with grace, but she was quite shocked that the boy—Avaric—had actually _touched _her without checking for pond scum first. Sense was quite elusive in entirely new territory, and civility from just about anyone was alien. Realizing she was still standing there and undoubtedly looking like a complete idiot, she continued on her way to her sister's dormitory, her face still lined with traces of wonderment.

The door was slightly ajar when she got there, which had her on guard in an instant. If Nessa was hurt...she didn't know what she would do. Cry first, run from her murderous father later; he would naturally think it was her fault and try to avenge his favorite, whether the latter was dead or not. Her feet were silent on the wooden floor of the room, but the creak of the door as she swung it open gave her away, which didn't matter much considering Nessa was sitting right there, eyeballing her warily, with...Boq? What?

"What are you doing here?" She blurted, just before remembering their agreement. Boq looked somewhere between murderous for her daring to ask such an awkward question and severely uncomfortable being there in the first place.

"_Well_, I...uh—"

"Boq is merely being a gentleman and visiting me in my quarters," Nessa said, by way of greeting, apparently. Elphaba cocked an eyebrow for effect and just to be annoying.

"I see," She exhaled heavily through her nose, her nostrils flaring. There would be no apologizing now. Definitely not with Boq within hearing range. His frowning face would become absolutely gleeful at her awkward stuttering and she wouldn't hear the end of it. Oh well, too bad for Nessa. Another time. "I'll just be leaving as you—"

"Was there something you wanted to say to me, Elphaba?" Her sister looked at her expectantly, a knowing gleam in her eye. Damn. It was as if she had seen her coming. There was still absolutely no way she would be asking for forgiveness—well, perhaps that was a bit more than she had intended to do—in the presence of a witness.

"Er...yes, I actually..." Desperation took over as she wracked her brain for an escape. "I...wanted to know why...I mean...can I borrow money?" Oh sweet Oz. She did not just say that. Curse the comfort she felt with her sister, that blood bond that meant she was capable of saying truly ridiculous things she never would have thought of with someone else. Mentally cringing, she looked over at Boq, who looked about as relaxed as she was but perked up at the welcome distraction. Briefly wondering why he was so stiff with a girl who was clearly every definition of lovely, she tore her gaze away from his to the scorching glare Nessa was shooting her.

"_No_, Elphaba, you may not _borrow money_," her sister snapped, her posture was so stiff it was practically counterproductive. Elphaba cringed at the thought of how much her back had to ache, and then laughed to herself at how typical that was of her sister, who didn't appear to see the hilarity of the situation. "There is _nothing amusing _about any of this, Elphaba! Just what are you trying to do here?" The uptight little chit. She was at least thankful for the privacy of her head, where she could be as rude and cruel to her sister as she wanted to be. Their relationship wasn't the best—closer to the opposite—but Nessa usually ended up treating Elphaba like she was the incompetent younger sibling, knowing her sister wouldn't dare reciprocate lest their father hear of it.

"I am simply trying to lighten the mood, Nessa dear," Elphaba said, schooling her features into an expression of innocent altruism that was a bit ruined by the gleam of sheer glee in her eye. Succeeding at distracting her sister was no small feat. She silently thanked Boq, whose presence had most likely thrown Nessa off.

Refusing to let her spirits dampen from Nessa's glaring, having gotten used to it long ago, Elphaba waved a swift goodbye to the new couple and strode out the door, hearing them take up their conversation almost immediately. Well, at least, Nessa took it up. Boq merely sat there and agreed a few times. Wise of him, but he was obviously not enjoying himself in the slightest. Perhaps this hadn't been such a good idea. Elphaba decided she would speak to him later, to ask him about any qualms he had. It was cruelly unjust to force something like this upon him, especially when it involved a girl like her sister.


	8. On A Clear Day

**A/N: Here it is, another chapter. Shorter than the previous ones but the content wouldn't mesh with a lengthy read. Remember friends, reviews are food for the soul—and without soul, people die. Very good people. **

**Disclaimer: I do have a whole lot of stuff, you could say a mess instead...but I can't find _Wicked _anywhere in the trash under my bed.**

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**It was extremely unpleasant, Elphaba mused, to wake up to the sound of a voice that high-pitched. Her ears felt as though a woodpecker was ravaging them in search of insects. Brain still foggy, she turned away from the wall she had been trying to cuddle with in her sleep and set her bleary eyes on her roommate, who was muttering to herself in the mirror.

"Surely you're not homesick enough to have gone mad yet," Elphaba commented, yawning on the last word. Galinda jerked in surprise and whirled around sharply, narrowing her eyes.

"I see the sea monster has risen from her slumber. What have I done to deserve such a fate?"

"Let me just count all your evil deeds, it might take a whi—" Elphaba drawled, but was cut off.

"You have no idea what you're talking about!" Galinda yelled shrilly, making Elphaba wince. "I suggest you keep your mouth shut or—"

"Hm, I _would_...but there would be no fun in that," Elphaba said in mock seriousness, sitting up in interest now that Galinda's smooth facade of a personality seemed to crack the tiniest bit. Or perhaps she had really gone mad. Either way, amusement abounded.

"I knew it. I knew you were born to try your hand at ruining my life—and everyone else's eyes, of course, with that horrific—"

"God, it's just the same record playing over and over again, isn't it?" Elphaba scowled, jovial mood dampened. "In case you haven't noticed, I can't help it!" She gestured wildly at herself. Honestly, where was the originality? She had passed sick and tired of the topic of her skin color about ten years ago.

"Well, neither can my disgust! Really, you—"

"I suppose you think I should just chop my skin off—"

"—a little more respectful to your superiors, that might get you somewhere."

"_What? _Superiors?" Elphaba let out a derisive laugh. "You couldn't be less _superior _to me if you were a frog fetus with an inferiority complex."

'Well, I suppose something green would make you feel better—"

"The only thing that would make me feel better is if you fell in a _ditch_ and—"

"I am completely uninterested in any crude remark you have—" Galinda put on an impassive face, raising her nose in the air and apparently trying to pretend she was above the entire conversation.

"I know the truth hurts, but facing it is the first step to recovery from brain damage—"

"—most likely a result of the clearly visible _bad breeding_ you so pride yourself on despite the amount of—" Galinda stopped abruptly, hands flying to her mouth and cheeks puffing out as she dashed to the small bathroom in their dorm and slammed the door behind her. The muffled sound of dry heaving echoed in the room and Elphaba cringed in disgust before her thoughts turned to surprise and then, inexplicably and terribly, worry and shame. Had she caused that with a few simple words?

_No, that's impossible_, she thought, not completely convincing herself. Either the girl was an excellent actress or she had really felt that repulsed...or, logically, she was sick. Elphaba tried to think back to when she had just woken up, when Galinda had turned to fling an insult of her own, but she couldn't see her face in her mind's eye. She noticed that she didn't look closely at Galinda, never seemed to pay much attention to what exactly she looked like. She was more of an idea to her than a person; someone who encompassed everything she had come to hate about Oz's most exclusive society girls, who lived and died in luxury and love without having had a care in the world, except perhaps looking pretty. Impossible as she was, it wasn't worthwhile even speaking to her, she knew, but it was difficult to refrain when the mere sight of her was so infuriating.

_This is what she drives me to_, Elphaba mused, _Starting absolutely _pointless_ arguments. I never would have spoken first if she hadn't been so insufferably...so...hm. _She wasn't sure how to describe whatever it was that she hated about the girl, but she knew it was something positively horrid and dreadful and more disgusting than her own skin color seemed to be. Her entire being reeked of it. Perhaps "blonde" was the right word, but that didn't seem to cover it.

She huffed a sigh. Despite her immense loathing for her roommate, Elphaba wasn't cruel enough to leave her there when she might have been severely ill. Truthfully, she was a little furious with herself for starting the tiff in the first place, when she had had nothing to prove. The undeniably human action—uncontrollable bodily function or not—stirred her into remembering that Galinda was a person under all those elaborate frills, and had her standing still, trapped in indecision. The disgusting sound had stopped but she could hear sniffling; she hadn't thought of the possibility that Galinda had _really _lost it, but an unusual show like this was surely a sign. Had she been anyone else, she would have taken to alerting Shiz's human rumor mills about this development immediately, but she resented them as much as they did her.

Shutting her eyes in resignation, Elphaba forced herself to snap out of it and rapped on the bathroom door sharply. No answer came, save for perhaps a few extra sniffles; she knocked again, rapidly several times.

"_LEAVE ME ALONE!_" The reply came, shrill as ever, making Elphaba jump and wince simultaneously as she realized that perhaps Galinda wasn't apt at showing humanity at all, save for an apparent nervous breakdown. Exhaling sharply, she shut her mouth and decided not to press any further. It was a moot point.

xxx

Thoroughly humiliated, Galinda crouched in the bathroom and bit back tears instinctively, sniffling. How had she ever sunk so low? Perhaps dieting so extremely was steadily chipping away at her core instead of replenishing it like she had intended. Never had she broken down so obviously, betrayed by her body, which had chosen the worst person possible to witness the display. She knew without a doubt that the whole university would be blabbing about this within the span of an hour, twisting elaborate stories of stomach flus and illegitimate pregnancies and whatnot. Perhaps she should just give up.

It was obvious that letting go of herself and everything she was entrenched in was not an option, but occasionally she let herself entertain the thought of simply stopping and letting the stress roll off her shoulders. It was as though everyone was constantly right beside her, watching her, pushing their demands and requirements on her without the option to say no. Then again, she wouldn't have if she could. It was all she knew, and she loved too much about it to let it go.

xxx

On the long trek to Sorcery, Elphaba had some time to ponder. Trampling through piles of leaves with a satisfying series of crunches, her book bag bumping into her with every step, she thought about the odd occurrence earlier that day. Bickering with her roommate wasn't unusual in the slightest, but for her to show a bit of the soft skin underneath her armor, much like an alligator's underbelly, was quite insane. It still stunned her, even several hours later, to have witnessed such a display.

When Galinda's body had chosen to betray her, as bodies often did, something had shifted in Elphaba. Any health problem the girl had was most likely minute and wholly uninteresting, but the event had served to remind her that there were traces of humanity beneath the exterior. After all, Galinda hadn't easily recovered from the simple bodily function, which would have been quite easy. It was a small shift, nothing monumental; the tectonic plates of her mindset did not move and the tides did not change direction, but it was more like a small chip in the persona tacked on to her roommate and stored away in her mind.

She had noticed, first and foremost when walking out that morning and having been unable to get it off her mind, that they never managed to argue about anything vital. Despite their age, these were primary school squabbles, with no purpose but perhaps to prove each other wrong about themselves. That purpose was heavily cloaked, however, in childish taunts that made Elphaba's skin squirm with discomfort as she thought of them coming out of her own mouth. How could she have ever sunk so low? It was a talent to bring out the immaturity she had worked so hard to beat down, especially when it came to her skin, which it inevitably did. It bothered her that someone could dislodge a part of herself that she had believed to be firmly buried away.

The truth of the matter, and one she would only admit to herself, was that she didn't know enough about Galinda to form such conclusive opinions about her. All she had to go on was that she was blonde and shallow, which she commented on continuously much like her skin was focused on. Galinda had concluded that she was green and repulsive as such, but both of them had, with such startling finality, immediately decided upon hating one another. There must have been more, though. Each person had their faults and virtues. Galinda must have had some as well, hard as they were to spot. It was humanly impossible to be inhuman, after all.

It was a hellish miracle for her thoughts to be traveling that path, but Elphaba had always been an avid thinker. She would give the girl a chance; try to see what she was made of. If she found a redeeming trait or two in the girl—that was really the highest amount she could hope for—perhaps things would change and they could be at least civil to one another. If not…at least she would have new material for insults.

Childish as it was, Elphaba dearly wished to be let down.

xxx

"Greetings, darlings!" Madame Morrible boomed, extending her huge arms to beckon the girls into the classroom behind her. Galinda smiled past the wonderment she had felt when she had seen Cathareen standing there with Elphaba, both girls resolutely ignoring each other. "Come in!"

The trio traipsed into the pseudo classroom, which was more a sitting room than anything, and Galinda perched on a lush divan with Cathareen beside her. Elphaba grudgingly followed to sit beside Cathareen, looking wholly uncomfortable. _Good_. Galinda hoped the entire experience would be terrible for her. She was the one who deserved to be there, not that artichoke. It was ridiculous that she, with so much magic in her lineage, had to fight tooth and nail to even attend the lesson when bottom-barrel trash was welcomed with open arms.

"Thank you, Madame, for having us here," Galinda trilled sweetly, becoming visibly miffed when the woman waved her away, more in dismissiveness than generosity. She took a sip of her tea to hide her grimace, glancing at Elphaba out of the corner of her eye and averting her gaze when she looked back at her. They hadn't spoken at all since that morning, and Galinda preferred it that way. She had been so tired all day. Taking another sip of her tea, she wished for biscuits despite herself.

They appeared on the table.

Galinda's jaw dropped, and she saw Madame Morrible wink at her, completely ignoring Elphaba's tentative question.

"Oh yes, this room does that," she smiled, seeming to relish Galinda's surprise, "Feel free to serve yourselves." She gestured to the bowl of biscuits.

Galinda hesitated, torn. That one biscuit could ruin her diet...but it would be despicably rude to refuse. She plucked a round cookie from the heap and bit into it, her taste buds savoring the first morsel of any kind of nourishment she had eaten all day. Swallowing, she felt as though the biscuit was falling into endless abyss, impossibly small in the dried up lake of her stomach. She took another one, telling herself it wouldn't make any difference.

"This meeting—or lesson, shall we say—is merely to get ourselves acquainted," Morrible said, producing three identical books from the shelves flocking the walls, "And for you to receive your textbooks."

Galinda took one of the books, appraising its black leather cover, which was embossed with the words, _An Introduction to the Basics of Magic_. She suppressed a roll of her eyes. Not merely an introduction—an introduction to _basics_. The practical part of the course seemed millenniums away.

"It is imperative that one knows what magic _is _before one magic does," Morrible smiled knowingly, "Now, please enjoy each others' company as much as possible in these moments, because I will be working individually with each of you more often as time progresses."

_Enjoyment; as if. _Galinda saw Cathareen scoff silently, and the two exchanged a meaningful glance.

Galinda froze.

The difference was small enough to have been completely unnoticeable, had she not been sitting so close to the girl. While Galinda had been expecting to see frosty blue orbs staring back at her, Cathareen's eyes were an undeniable shade of light green.

Galinda attributed it to a trick of the light; the cushioned divans in the room were a rich deep green. It could even have been her own misjudgment; Cathareen's eyes were light enough for the color to be questionable. It was the only plausible explanation, and the only sane one, so Galinda decided on that.

The three girls sat in tense silence for ten more minutes before Madame Morrible graciously ended the ordeal. Elphaba, who had been uncharacteristically silent for most of that hour, left just as silently in the opposite direction she had come in. Galinda had been about to ask Cathareen to go have coffee with her, but stopped herself when she heard the girl ask to speak with Morrible in private. Galinda strode away, her heavy textbook weighing on her thin arm like a burden.


End file.
